Given the little community we’ve built here, it’s safe to say that we all want to experience more cars. Fast cars, slow cars, big cars, small cars, cars powered by electricity or gasoline or steam. Unfortunately, not all cars are built for all humans, and sometimes our dreams are dashed by ergonomic concerns. Today, let’s talk about times our dreams were dashed by physical limitations.
Oh, and not fitting in a car isn’t just for people who are tall and/or built sturdy. Sometimes, cars aren’t built for shorter people, or people with longer legs than torso, or people who are longer in their torso than their legs. To an extent, there are cars we all don’t fit in, it just is what it is.
Take the Dodge Stealth, for example. Its a fascinatingly quick bit of ’90s cool, but I just don’t fit in the damn car. I’m not especially tall, but in a state of recline that gives me a safe reach of the steering wheel, my head hits the headliner. I adore the car, but I’m genuinely unsure if I could own one an actually fit in it safely. Shame, that.
Likewise, I quite like the Lexus UX. It’s a brilliant little posh hatchback for the city, but my right knee is always hard up against the plastic center console, which makes longer stints behind the wheel unworkable. Another shame, because the UX is just like a CT200h but better. Who wouldn’t want to daily that?
So, what are some vehicles you don’t fit into? Be it ergonomic concerns or a simple lack of space, let’s hear about those cars that just aren’t compatible with you.
(Photo credits: Dodge, Lexus)
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Ah the perks of being small
Fiat X1/9…At the time, I was 6’2 and 170 lb.
Most of them, in one way or another. My Monza has the same wheelbase as a new Supra but it has SO much more room inside.
Don’t fit in:
NA Miata. Well, I technically fit but I’m staring at the top of the windshield surround. OK for a short drive, not so much for longer.
Jaguar XK8 – similarly, it’s doable but awkward and uncomfortable.
Jaguar E-type – the distance between the pedals and the wheel is a bit shorter than my foot-to-knee distance, which makes moving between gas and brake quickly a challenge. Only doable for short distances.
Toyota 2000GT – while I didn’t technically get to attempt it, just a glance through the window made it pretty clear. Not happening.
I’d assumed I didn’t fit in an Elise, but someone at Autocross let me test and it turns out I was wrong, so I bought one a few months later and daily-drove it for about 7 years.
Miata
I don’t know that I’ve ever really fit properly in a car, at 6’3″. Chevy Cobalt with a sunroof? My neck will express it’s displeasure afterwards, but my right knee will let me know right away that the keys, steering column, and the center stack for the radio are digging into it, and in an accident my leg would probably be broken. The Ford ZX2 was surprisingly decent, but again, sunroof (though not quite as bad). PT Cruiser? No comfort issues, but the windshield is kinda short, so I can’t always see traffic lights. Chevy HHR? Same as the Cruiser, but for every single window. The ’08 Chevy Impala is a bit of a surprise, as it’s a roomy, full-size sedan, but the foot well is a bit cramped for my long legs and size 13 shoes, and while the pedals aren’t dangerously close, I do sometimes brush the gas pedal when I go for the brake. The Saab Sonnett II & III are surprisingly roomy, which is to say they are quite cramped, but you can actually get in the tiny things, but the pedals are a disaster waiting to happen. The Saab 93 & 96 are miles better, but still kind of awkward.
I do recall that the trusty but incredibly rusty ’98 Grand Caravan was very comfortable, though. Loved that thing, but you’d think people from Michigan would know better than to make a car out of Alka Seltzer. And while I only briefly sat in one, the 2 door Mk 7 Golf has seemingly infinite legroom, and was comfortable in all other respects, as well.
My father in law had a service station on Telegraph Road in Southfield. Every so often, they’d have something interesting there.
One day, a friend dropped off a Jaguar XK140. I asked the owner if I could sit in it, and he laughed, and said “go ahead”. I’m 6’2″, and at the time, about 240#. Not even close…
McLaren M23.
When Rush came out, I was working at a European luxury car dealer group that liked to host events, so when I was contacted by a friend at the local race track to see if we would be interested in co-hosting a viewing party, we jumped at it. We hosted it at a race shop/garage mahal near the dealer (which the dealer eventually purchased, but that’s another story) and someone loaned the track a McLaren M23 similar to what James Hunt drove to the 1976 World Driver’s Championship as portrayed the movie (the car was described as an un-raced in-period spare built up from spare parts and vintage raced) to display out in front of the race shop.
The evening of the event, they unloaded the car and positioned it in front of the building, and me being my jackass self asked, “Can I sit in it?” I’m sure knowing what was coming, the car handlers said “sure”, so I carefully grabbed the rollbar, stepped over the side of the cockpit, and attempted to snake my legs under the steering wheel.
Yeah…
I grossly underestimated 1) how small Formula One drivers are and 2) how much I had let myself go. I got one leg (butt cheek) all the way down into the seat, with the other leg kind of up on the side of the monocoque, which I believe contained one of the fuel tanks. I sat there for a couple painful seconds, leveraged myself back out of the car, and walked away.
Oh man, that Stealth looks wicked!
6′ @ ~200#. An old-school regular cab pickup. I’ve had a couple (’94 F150 & a ’87 Dodge Ram.) I couldn’t get comfortable behind the wheel in both. Always felt like the wheel was right up in my face and my legs were bent back uncomfortably. Sigh.
6’3 just a hair under 300lbs. The S2000. I love the look and and engine. I just can’t move my legs which is a problem in a car with no automatic.
I’m 5′ 11 and I don’t fit well in mine with stock seats.
6foot tall (and growing somehow) person, who bought a 98 civic coupe. Head scrapes roof with seat all the way back, now worried I won’t fit in the car I’m supposed to learn in.
Who’s car is it? If you can replace the seat with an aftermarket one, you should be fine and it shouldn’t cost very much.